Aliens and Machines
by To Forgive Is Divine
Summary: 11-year-old Rex doesn't know about his amazing powers. He doesn't know about his future, or even about the past. He doesn't know that aliens exist, or that the Nanite Event changed the world. How would he? He has amnesia. But when he meets Ben Tennyson and his family during their summer vacation, can he regain his memory? Or will he have to just make new ones?


**I own nothing, all rights go to their owners.**

 **By the way, can anyone help me remember something? I feel like the RV had a TV, but I can't be sure. If you can tell me, it would be great.**

"BEN!" A strange green fly-like thing hovered in the air, reeking something foul and stinking up the entire campsite. It darted back and forth, infuriating it's cousin.

"Guys, look at this one!" He cackled, dodging past obstacles such as the RV and his orange-haired cousin. "Wonder what else it can do..." The gross alien's four eyes squinted in effort. Then widened with surprise as a glob of something green shot out of its eyes. Unfortunately for his cousin, he had been looking at her. The sloppy green slime sprayed into her, co

"BEN!"

"Coooool!"

"Come on guys, it's time to go." The old man, the two cousin's collective grandfather ordered, tired of their antics. He sighed, folding up alone one of the several chairs.

"Grandpa, Doofus got all this _stuff_ on me!" Gwen yelled, angry with her annoying cousin. How come _she_ didn't get the cool powers, minus the stinky one? She'd be a whole lot more responsible with it, at least,

"Ben..."

"Ha, ahahaa-" a large red flash encompassed him, and he fell to the ground, human but still laughing.

"So what are you going to call this one?" His cousin asked, momentarily forgetting the ooze despite the putrid green substance still desperately clinging to her carrot-colored hair.

"Hmm, well he's a bug, right? And he smells, so... Smeller Bee?" Stink Bug?" He frowned, neither having the same ring a "XLR8," or "Heatblast," two aliens he had already used and named. "I dunno, I'll figure it out later. It's easiest to come up with names when I'm actually the alien. "

His cousin was desperately struggling to get the goop out of her hair. "Have I got it yet?" She didn't, but Ben didn't tell her that. He nodded, sniggering quietly to himself. He was only ten after all, and was entitled to have a little fun with his know-it-all cousin. If that meant getting gross, unidentifiable green _slop_ in her hair, well, so be it.

"Anyway, come on guys. The summer's just started, and have a lot of places to go. Next stop, Washington D.C." Their grandfather motioned to the large RV, indicating that they should be going.

"Yeah, and I can already tell this," He held up the watch. "Is going to make the summer a _whole_ lot more fun." He gave a happy smirk at Gwen's eye roll, happy with her annoyance.

* * *

In a large clearing, a preteen boy sat. He wore a black t-shirt with an orange jacket and blue jeans. He put his hands over his face, his entire body convulsing. Something was wrong, _very very_ wrong. Everything felt swollen, painful, like he was going to _burst._ He pulled his hands away and gazed at the dirt ground, desperately trying to figure out what could be wrong.

Thinking back, he realized with fright and confusion that he couldn't remember how he got there. He couldn't member his parents, or where he lived. Yes, something really wasn't quite right. This was reinforced when his view became further and further and further from the ground. His hand caught his view, a large metal thing. He stood, stretching into the sky and towering above the trees, his legs like buildings of iron, his body a living machine.

And then he blacked out.

 ** _In a nearby lodge..._**

"...reports of a scale 9 nine evo, one of the worst we've had in the two years since the nanite event. Luckily it isn't in any populated area or city, but this campground." The woman on the lodge's television pointed at the map, and a few watching gasped in worry. It was very close by."Providence is being dispatched as we speak." The camera cut to the evo, ripping through the forest. It was strange, like some kind of machine. The bartender shook his head in compassion, feeling sorry for whomever might've been on the road there. They wouldn't be having a fun time.

In the corner sat a group of cloaked men, all strangers, not normally seen around those parts. If you had been closer, you might've been able to overhear their conversation. However, they made sure no one was.

"A metal monster... Is it possible it's not an evo, but...?" One asked, unsure while inconspicuously eyeing the television. Despite his fair question, another, most likely the leader shot it down, but not before a moments consideration.

"No. We would be able to tell. Although I will agree, a bio-mechanical evo is certainly odd." He shook his head, almost in regret. "It is a shame our leader wishes not to study evos. It could prove..." He paused, searching for the right word. "Fruitful." He gave a hearty laugh, and underneath the dark coat a glint of metal shined out.

"Not to speak against our leader, but he sure seems stuck in his ways. All the possibilities, ghosts, evos-Although I guess those government idiots the Guys In White have ghosts covered." He had to repress a mirthful laugh at the thought of the buffoons, not noticing all the disapproving looks his way. The leader of the small group was quick to reprimand him.

"Truly, we shouldn't even be speaking of this. The leader of the forever knights is unforgiving." The others nodded in agreement, knowing of his ruthlessness.

 ** _In the Tennyson RV..._**

Ben sat in the camper, it pumping down the dirt road. He fiddled with his new watch, ignoring the disapproving looks his cousin was giving him. "Hey, grandpa. I was thinking, even though you said I was turning into aliens maybe the watch just controls my nanites." He paused, liking the idea. "Yeah, it just changes what I turn into." He didn't see Max's discreet eye roll, on account of the grandfather being in the front seat.

"Whatever you say, Ben." It didn't matter what the ten-year-old thought to be honest, he could believe what he wanted to. Ben still fiddled with it, studying each of the alien silhouettes. Gwen gazed out the window at the quickly approaching night, her head resting in her hand. She suddenly perked up, her gaze locking onto something in the night. "Uh, grandpa?" Her voice shook with fear. Ben looked up, curious. "There's something out there that you should see..." Outside, at least a mile away, small bursts of light penetrated the darkness, lighting up an enormous silhouette. They caught flashes of gray and orange mechanical parts, swatting away small opponents, probably Providence.

Max's eyes widened as he took in the sight. Suddenly, a bright flash of blue electricity lit up the figure, emanating from the shoulder. If one had inhuman vision, they would have been able to make out the sixth deadliest man in the world, swords pierced into the metal. The huge mechanical beast roared, swinging around as a bright flash erupted from one of it's hands. The hands detached, flying above the forest as it headed straight for the RV.

"Granpa, move!" Ben and Gwen shouted in near-perfect unison, snapping the old man out of this rare stupor. He slammed his foot down into the accelerator and the RV's spun at full power, tearing through the dirt as it found proper traction and pushed the RV forwards, out of the flying objects path. It smashed into the road where the RV just was. The mechanical monster whom had sent the gift exploded, sending an invisible pulse that knocked out the RV. Luckily, the brakes still worked, and Max proved this by slamming down on them. The RV skidded to a stop, several yards from the discarded fist. Max sighed, wiping his brow. That was way too close. What was that, an evo or an alien?

"Whoa." Ben sat up, looking around. "Why are all the lights out?" Gwen sat up as well, still clutching the table, and answered, hoping she was right in her deduction.

"I think it was some sort of EMP, maybe when the big guy blew..." She rolled her eyes at Ben's blank expression. "Electro Magnetic Pulse? Fries electronics?" He nodded, finally understanding. He'd heard of that from the many action movies he'd seen. Glancing down at his watch, it seemed unaffected.

"Well, at least this thing works." He rubbed the back of his head, looking out at the distant smoke rising. Suddenly, he stood. "Well, if the RV is down for the count, I'm checking out that huge hand thing!" Both Gwen and Max turned to him in surprise. "What, it's probably safe. And if it's not, well..." He held up the watch, not bothering to finish his threat to the hand.

Max thought about it, considering. "Well, I suppose it's deactivated by now. You two go on ahead, I'll see if I can't get this old thing running." He smiled, knowing the RV was equipped for this. Ben and Gwen nodded, throwing open the door and beginning the short run to the hand.

"Whoa, this thing it huge!" Gwen murmured as they approached it. It was, as she so aptly put it, "huge." It could easily hold a literal handful of people, and looked strong enough to carry them around effortlessly. She slowly walked up, feeling the cool metal before being startled by a new voice.

"Help...me..." Ben spun around to the inside of the hand, searching for the source while Gwen worriedly checked inside the loosely clenched fist. It was a kid, about her age. Ben pressed the small green button on his watch, causing it to pop up.

"Please be someone strong, please be someone strong..." He slammed his hand down, and the green glow enveloped him, hiding rapid growth along with his rippling skin as it turned a red. His entire body bulged with new-found muscles, accompanied by two extra limbs sprouting from his sides, only slightly smaller than the ripped upper appendages. The blinding green light died, revealing a new alien, whom would be later known as four-arms. He flexed his new muscles, happy with this new aliens. "Wow, look at this guy!" His voice was very different, rippling with power.

"Ben!' Gwen pointed to the poor kid, still trapped. Ben nodded a bit sheepishly, easily pushing apart the large metal thumb that was mostly in the way. Gwen ducked past the alien Ben, grabbing hold of the unconscious kid. She pulled, forgetting dead weight was the heaviest. She managed to tug his body out of the large hand. Ben let go of the thumb, and it fell back into place. Ben lifted instead, throwing him over his shoulder in a fireman's hold. They quickly made it back to the RV, Gwen throwing open the door for Ben. The over-sized alien barely squeezed through the door, startling Max as the RV rocked to the side. Ben had to crouch as to not hit the ceiling as he made his way back to their beds.

"Kids?! Who's that?" He worriedly asked, discreetly flipping panel that was covered in switches and panels back to it's normal side. Gwen turned to Max as Ben lightly laid the stranger down.

"It's a kid we found in the big hand, he's unconscious." She explained. Max worriedly tried to get into the back, blocked by the huge Ben.

"Ben, you're to big. Wait outside until you turn back, you're in the way." Max commanded as nicely as possible, pointing towards the door. Ben hesitated, looking back at the unconscious kid, before giving a reluctant nod. He crouched out the door, the whole RV rocking back relieved as the weight left it. Max returned his attention to the kid as Ben sat outside, pouting. As he sat, it began to pour down with water, quickly soaking Ben and turning the dirt road to mud.

"Is he okay?" Gwen worriedly asked as her grandpa felt the kid's forehead. He looked about ten to eleven years old. Max, after several minutes of fussing, and nearly giving Gwen a heart attack from worry sat back, relieved. She felt the RV shift, and she turned to see Ben poking his red head through the doorway.

"He looks fine, just tired. We'll let him get some sleep." He reassured the two. Ben looked at his beeping watch on his shoulder. There was a flash of red light as Ben shrunk back into a normal human, falling into the RV as his handholds were suddenly not there.

"Oof!" Ben picked himself up, relieved that the kid was okay but still soaking wet. He pushed himself fully into the RV. "Well, that's good at least. I wonder how he got into it's hand?" Gwen shrugged, not wanting to give a theory. Max didn't give an answer as well, wondering himself. All of their thoughts were interrupted by a sudden crash, rocking the whole RV. Gwen and Ben were thrown to the floor, having been standing. "What the heck? Can we get a break!"

Gwen picked herself up, running to the window, and looking out. Outside was an evo, it had four small legs to move it's much larger and deformed upper body. It reminded Gwen of a deformed bobble head. It had two arms, one miniature, weaker than a young child, but it's other right was huge and buff.

He pulled back it's much bigger arm, throwing it into the RV and rocking it again. Ben glanced down at his watch, still red from it's most recent transformation. Again, the RV tipped, even further this time. It really felt like... "Everyone out!" Max lifted up the still unconscious kid, running out the door, into the rain. "If we stay any longer, it'll tip over the Rustbucket!" The two happily complied, following their grandfather. As they left the RV, they turned to the evo, it's attention now focused on them. It charged forward, it's huge shoulder bent towards them to try and flatten them. All three mostly dodged, but Max, encumbered by the kid, was clipped in the side, throwing him and the kid to the side in different directions. The evo raised it's arm, preparing to flatten the old man.

"Grandpa!" Both shouted in unison, Gwen turning to Ben. "Come on, isn't it ready yet?!" He mashed the watch, growing increasingly more frustrated. The evo roared, it's barely discernible face stretching in anger. As the evo threw down it's arm, two muddy arms wrapped around Max, leaping to the side out the way and pulling Max away from the evo's attack. The two tumbled through the dirt, and when they finally stopped they could identify the savior. It was the kid they found in the evo's hand.

"Hey! Big and ugly!" The evo turned in confusion to the new intruder. "Come and get me!" The kid taunted, angering the evo. As the evo charged, the kid ducked down, sliding in between it's four legs through the mud. As he passed underneath, he gripped it's two back legs, unbalancing it and pulling it over. As it's face crashed down into the mud, the stranger scrambled up from the dirty mud. "Ha, can't believe that worked!" As it pushed itself back up with it's bigger arm, the kid dashed forward. "Oh no you don't!" He leapt up, landing on it's back and forcing it back into the mud. Placing his bare hands onto it's back, small, glowing blue lines appeared, running down his arms and into the evo's back. It roared in anger as it's four legs meted into two, it's gray skin changed to peach, and it's arms balanced out.

An instant later, the stranger sat atop an unconscious naked man. "Ew." He hurriedly got up, looking away from the old man. His gaze caught the others, gazing in shocked silence. "Oh, hey there. I'm Rex. Rex, uh..." He paused frowning. "Do you know my last name?"


End file.
